Airbnb in Saint-Laurent-du-Var: the 2026 rules explained for owners

Who sets the short-term letting rules in Saint-Laurent-du-Var?

Saint-Laurent-du-Var is one of the 51 municipalities of the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur. The Métropole matters to hosts here in two ways: it collects the tourist tax across its whole territory and it holds the metropolitan local development plan. That does not turn the town into a regulatory annex of Nice.

Change of use for housing falls under the French Construction and Housing Code. It applies automatically in towns of more than 200,000 inhabitants, such as Nice, and in three départements around Paris. Everywhere else it has to be introduced by a reasoned resolution. Article L631-9 gives that power to the inter-municipal body responsible for the local development plan or, failing that, to the town council. Since the law of 19 November 2024, a municipality in a high-pressure housing area can adopt it, but nothing is automatic.

National rules apply everywhere: the Tourism Code (declaration, day cap for a main residence), the General Tax Code and the law of 19 November 2024, known as the « loi Le Meur » (energy rating, co-ownership, mayors' powers). To compare with Nice's far stricter regime, read our guide to Airbnb regulations in Nice.

The metropolitan regulation of 22 June 2026 does not cover Saint-Laurent-du-Var

Three official sources confirm it. First, the regulation itself: resolution no. 2.1 of the metropolitan council of 22 June 2026 sets the conditions for granting change-of-use permits « pour la ville de NICE » (for the city of Nice). Permits are issued by the Mayor of Nice, the quotas cover 39 IRIS statistical areas of Nice grouped into four zones, and compensation applies to « l'ensemble de la commune de Nice ».

Second, the Métropole's official FAQ. To the question « Est-ce que toute la Métropole est concernée par la nouvelle règlementation ? » (is the whole Métropole covered?), the answer is: « Non, seule Nice est concernée » (no, only Nice). It adds that Villefranche-sur-Mer has had its own rules since 1 July 2024. Saint-Laurent-du-Var is not mentioned.

Third, the metropolitan tourist tax portal, shared by all 51 municipalities, flags a prior change-of-use requirement only for Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer.

• No five-year temporary permit to apply for
• No quotas and no IRIS zones
• No « one permit per tax household » limit
• No compensation required to let a second home

To our knowledge, as at 5 October 2026, no resolution has introduced a change-of-use regime in Saint-Laurent-du-Var: we found none on either the town's or the Métropole's website. Such a decision remains possible in the future. Before buying for short-term letting, ask the town hall's planning department to confirm the position.

Main residence: 120 days a year at most

Your main residence is the home you live in at least eight months a year. You may let it as a holiday rental without a permit, up to 120 days per calendar year, the cap set by article L324-1-1 of the Tourism Code.

A municipality can lower this cap to as little as 90 days by a reasoned resolution. We found no such resolution for Saint-Laurent-du-Var: to our knowledge, the national 120-day cap applies. If you expect to get close to it, check with the town hall.

The typical local case: an owner who lets the flat in summer, during their own holidays, and for a few big Riviera events. Keep an accurate calendar of the nights you let; beyond 120 days, the property can no longer be treated as a main residence let occasionally.

Second home: no permit, but obligations

This is the big difference with Nice. With no change-of-use regime, a second home can, on the texts we reviewed, be let as a holiday rental without prior permission and without an annual night cap. On the other side of the Var, the same plan requires a temporary permit subject to quotas, or compensation.

The following obligations remain:

• Declare the rental and display the registration number on every listing
• Collect and pay over the metropolitan tourist tax, or let the platform do it
• Comply with the co-ownership rules of the building, which may ban or restrict holiday lets
• Let to short-stay guests: according to service-public.fr, the same guest cannot stay more than 90 consecutive days
• Declare your income as BIC and pay council tax on second homes, which carries a surcharge in the town

Declaration and registration number

The Métropole's tourist tax portal (taxedesejour.ofeaweb.fr/ts/metropole-nca) covers all 51 municipalities, Saint-Laurent-du-Var included. That is where hosts create their account, declare their rental and can obtain a registration number. Neighbouring Cagnes-sur-Mer confirms on its website that every holiday rental declaration has gone through this portal since the metropolitan tourist office was created in 2019. To our knowledge, the Saint-Laurent-du-Var town website has no dedicated page: if in doubt about the procedure, contact the town hall or the Métropole's tourist tax department (taxedesejour@nicecotedazur.org).

The number must appear on all your listings. Platforms ask for it when you publish and can remove a listing without a valid number.

A national reform is coming. Since 20 May 2026, article L324-1-1 of the Tourism Code provides for declaration through a single national online service. The Directorate-General for Enterprise (page updated on 23 July 2026) expects it to open in the fourth quarter of 2026, with a transition period to renew municipal numbers, which will then become invalid.

Number format, display and penalties are all explained on our page about the holiday let registration number.

Tourist tax: collected by the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur

In Saint-Laurent-du-Var the tourist tax is collected by the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, at the same rates as in its 50 other member municipalities. The official 2026 rates are published on the tourist tax portal.

For an unclassified holiday rental: 5% of the pre-tax price of the night per person, plus an additional tax of 34%, i.e. 6.70% in total, capped at €6.43 per person per night. The official rate sheet links this additional tax to the Ligne Nouvelle Provence Côte d'Azur rail project. For a classified rental, the rate is fixed and depends on the stars. Minors are exempt.

On Airbnb, the platform collects and pays over the tax. For direct bookings, common with repeat business guests, it is up to you to collect, declare and pay it over.

High-pressure area, council tax, co-ownership, energy rating and tax

Saint-Laurent-du-Var applies the council tax surcharge on second homes, a power reserved for municipalities in high-pressure housing areas. According to local tax data published by the French tax authority (DGFiP), its rate was 60% in 2025, the legal maximum. A holiday rental that is not your main residence generally remains liable: build this cost into your yield calculation.

Co-ownership: building rules may ban or restrict short-term letting, and the law of 19 November 2024 made it easier, under conditions, to adopt such restrictions. Read our guide to co-ownership rules and holiday lets before publishing your listing.

Energy rating: the same law created energy performance requirements for holiday rentals, phased in over time. See our guide to the energy rating of holiday lets.

Tax: for 2026 income, an unclassified holiday rental under the micro-BIC regime gets a 30% allowance up to €15,000 of takings, against 50% up to €83,600 for a classified rental. Social charges are 18.6%. Follow our guide on declaring Airbnb income and our 2026 LMNP guide. For your personal situation, consult an accountant or a notary.

The local market: airport, sea and shopping

Saint-Laurent-du-Var lives off three kinds of guests. The first is tied to Nice Côte d'Azur airport, just across the Var: transit passengers, early flights, business trips. They book all year round, often for short stays, and value easy access and self check-in.

The second is the beach crowd: the marina, the Promenade des Flots Bleus and the beaches in summer. The town presents itself as a tourist and seaside resort and hosts the Beach Sport Festival each summer. The third is shopping and family visitors around Cap 3000. The Riviera's big events, from Nice Carnival in February to the Monaco Grand Prix in spring, also benefit well-connected properties in the town.

To put a figure on your property's potential, use our Airbnb income estimator or discover our Airbnb concierge service in Saint-Laurent-du-Var: 20% excl. VAT (24% incl. VAT) of rental income, all inclusive and with no lock-in, a €250 repair float and a detailed report every Friday.

Sources and verification date

Information checked on 5 October 2026 against the official sources below. Rules change: if in doubt, the Saint-Laurent-du-Var town hall and the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur are authoritative.

• Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, change-of-use regulation for the city of Nice, resolution no. 2.1 of 22 June 2026 (nicecotedazur.org, PDF): title, article 3-2 and article 11-1.
• Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, FAQ « Autorisations de changements d'usage », question 3 (nicecotedazur.org).
• Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur tourist tax portal (taxedesejour.ofeaweb.fr/ts/metropole-nca): list of the 51 municipalities, registration number, 2026 rates.
• Ville de Saint-Laurent-du-Var (saintlaurentduvar.fr), page « Station touristique et balnéaire »; no results for holiday rentals or change of use in the site search.
• Ville de Cagnes-sur-Mer, page « Une question ? Nous contacter » (ville.cagnes.fr): holiday rental declarations on the metropolitan portal.
• Légifrance: articles L631-7 and L631-9 of the Construction and Housing Code, article L324-1-1 of the Tourism Code; law no. 2024-1039 of 19 November 2024.
• Directorate-General for Enterprise, page « API Meublés, guichet unique de centralisation » (entreprises.gouv.fr, updated 23 July 2026); service-public.gouv.fr, factsheet F2043.
• DGFiP, « Fiscalité locale des particuliers » 2025 data (data.economie.gouv.fr).